Miette: Recipes from San Francisco’s Most Charming Pastry Shop

Miette: Recipes from San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop

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Renowned for beautiful cakes and whimsical confections, Miette Patisserie is among the most beloved of San Francisco's culinary destinations for locals and travelers. Miette's pretty Parisian aesthetic enchants visitors with tables piled high with beribboned bags of gingersnaps, homemade marshmallows, fleur de sel caramels, and rainbows of gumballs. This cookbook brings the enchantment home, sharing 100 secret formulas for favorite Miette treats from chef and owner Meg Ray. More than 75 gorgeous

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The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook: 2,000 Recipes from 20 Years of America’s Most Trusted Cooking Magazine

The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook: 2,000 Recipes from 20 Years of America's Most Trusted Cooking Magazine

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Cook's Illustrated Magazine has stood the test of time and distinguished itself among the pack by having a singular focus--developing recipes that work the first time and every time; it's as simple as that. For the first time since the magazine's inception, more than 2,000 of Cook's Illustrated's landmark recipes have been carefully compiled into a wide-ranging compendium that shows you how to make your favorite dishes better. A must-have collection for fans of Cook's Illustrated (and any discer

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The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs

  • ISBN13: 9780316118408
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Winner of the 2009 James Beard Book Award for Best Book: Reference and Scholarship
Great cooking goes beyond following a recipe--it's knowing how to season ingredients to coax the greatest possible flavor from them. Drawing on dozens of leading chefs' combined experience in top restaurants across the country, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg present the definitive guide to creating "deliciousness" in any dish. Thousands of ingredient entries, organized alphabetic

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Realtors Gain Free Sales Leads by Tapping into their Most Powerful Resource

Sick of paying for leads that lead to no sales or spending numerous hours prospecting through cold leads? Would you like some warm leads for free?

If you've been in the real estate business for at least a few years or have a decent-sized clientele list, then I would postpone your cold-call prospecting. It's time to benefit from your best prospecting tool: your clientele. New homebuyers create a great reason to keep in touch with them. You can inquire about their satisfaction of their new home immediately after they move in as well as many anniversary dates into the future: 1st six months, 1st year, 2nd year and beyond. And provided your clients are satisfied with your level of service, they should know plenty of people that fit the ideal new-home-prospect mold. The credibility and familiarity of your clients is powerful and will help open the door to their contacts.

How can this lead to obtaining referrals?

You will start with a post-sale survey and a "Congratulations Gift". All clients respect business professionals that are not afraid to hear good honest feedback and fix problems, and they certainly love gifts. You must choose a gift that you can obtain or make in bulk, so you don't have to keep shopping for the item over-and-over, and is easy to deliver. That's why I suggest desserts or candy gifts. Who doesn't like sweets? Almost every one does. You just need to choose items that are of high quality and preferably are packaged in an attractive way.

You can either choose to make homemade gifts or order them online. If you decide to make homemade gifts then you should be at least adequate in the kitchen, have many of the necessary supplies and ingredients and then obtain some attractive tins or boxes in order to ship them. Yes, it will take more work to make the gifts yourself, but your clients will love you for it. Think about it. How many realtors go out of their way to send gifts, let alone make them themselves? Not too many, right?

So what are some desserts that are easy to make, package and deliver?

Many sweets and candy gifts are not difficult to make. You can choose from many different candy and dessert recipes. Some inexpensive and less time consuming ideas for sending to several clients e same time are cookies gifts, chocolate covered rice crispy treats and cupcakes gifts. You can customize any of these by shaping and/or decorating them into shapes and designs related to the home, such as cut-out sugar cookies shaped like sofas, refrigerators or anything pertaining to homes. You can create rice crispy treats shaped like houses or cupcakes with designs for different rooms of the house. If you have the time then I would recommend creating more personalized gifts for your clients like cookies shaped after their favorite hobbies like sports, musical instruments and notes, gardening, cars and more. You could use the same idea for cupcakes and rice crispy treats. You will have to order cookie cutters or the proper pans in order to shape your gifts and perhaps learn some basic cupcake decorating techniques. Finally, you need to package them and either deliver them yourself or send them. Check with your local courier for some advice.

There are many advantages to ordering the desserts or candy gifts online, though. The gifts are delivered for you in beautiful packages.Furthermore, you could send many gifts to many different clients at the same time with just a few clicks of your mouse. Not to mention the website provides you with a "gift headquarters" since it keeps track of your orders and addresses so you could send future gifts. Cookies again make great gifts that can also be packaged into gift baskets with other treats. Some unique housewarming sweets gift ideas are cookie cakes. You can have messages placed on top such as "Welcome home John and Lisa" or "Enjoy your new home". A "Dessert/Cookies of the Month Club" is a tremendous idea too for your best clients who have the most potential for future business transactions or referrals. Every month of the year or every 3 months you could have a different dessert or batch of cookies sent to them which will remind them you exist throughout the year. This will allow you to call them for a long time.

But how do you ask for referrals?

Gauge your level of service by creating an easy-to-fill out survey along with a blank list to fill out with referrals names. You must define your ideal client for them with a list of desired qualities or they will have no clue whose name to give you. Asking who is looking for a new home is not good enough. If you're the selling agent, you want prospects that are either ready to buy a home or likely to be ready soon. People needing more living space, wishing to upgrade into nicer houses or people tired of renting make ideal prospects. If you're the listing agent, then you're looking for people in distress looking to get rid of their house ASAP. And whether you are the listing or selling agent, you will need patience since most people need time to become familiar with someone before doing business with them. That is the main reason why it is more advantageous to meet prospects well before they buy or sell a home.

Only ask for names and phone numbers, and be sure to ease their worries over how you will be using their friends and families' information. Explain that you cannot promise to help them until you know their situation, wants and needs. You merely intend to introduce yourself and ask permission to keep in touch until the time is right to purchase a home or sell a home. Bring up the survey and referral request before the closing of the house to eliminate surprises. There's nothing frightening about that, right? Inform them how the process helps you improve service and stay in business. Explain to them they are helping you with a favor. Who doesn't want to do a favor to help someone out? Within a week of delivering your housewarming gift send out the survey/referral list. Let them know you will get back in touch shortly. Then call them.

Keep in touch with your clients by sending dessert gifts and cards on all anniversary dates. If you don't have the funds to purchase ordered gifts each time then blend in some homemade ones. Don't overlook the fact that your clients' situations and moods change with time. Different people will surface in their minds each time you call and they'll make new friends in the meantime. Their friends' situations will change; they may have babies, be promoted at work, get divorced or be forced to leave the state and sell their homes.

Housewarming gifts are powerful and so are the referrals that your clients can provide you. Don't miss out! Tap into the power of your clientele today!

Image taken on 2006-07-06 11:56:59 by moriza.

Rick works in sales and customer service. He believes strongly that customer-focused service leads to more sales and repeat business. Strong, healthy relationships between client and salesperson are key. Giving gifts to clients is one way to stand out. Whether you are a realtor giving your client housewarming gifts or an insurance agent showing appreciation for their business. Gifts help pave the way to future success with your clients.

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19 Amazing Furniture Designs To Make The Most Out Of Tiny Apartment Space

– Push Back The Walls Of Your Small Living Space with These Effective Space Saving FurnitureMany people have to live in small spaces, especially in the big cities like New York. But living in a small space does not necessarily mean that you cannot make use of great designer furniture that will save huge amounts of that precious space, making a far more usable and viable living area out of a small apartment.1. Modular Kitchen:The modular kitchen

by Fevzi Karaman is perfect for anyone who has ever tried to live in a loft efficiency unit. The bright tasty apple green cube is so sleek that you may at first think it is an IMac product, until you slide out the table top to reveal a kitchen sink, small stove top, dish rack, and trash can.For those who need space in a one room loft, the modular kitchen is the perfect condenser. It will even make living in mum and pop’s basement a snap as you become self-sufficient in seconds.2. Fix It on the wall furniture:Want to add your own personal touch to a cramped apartment? Try Fix It on the Wall. When hung, the items can be placed into molds to create a contemporary piece of art that can beautifully adorn your wall with your own stylish touch.You can even choose the color, print, and texture of the tiny removable plug in pieces. Once guests arrive you can amaze them when you take the wall fixture down and remove the pieces to form a coffee table complete with four cushions tea style. Decorating Walls.3. Matroshka Living Concept:The thought of fitting your belongings into a tight city loft may daunt you, but if the designers of the Matroshka Living Concept are successful you will have no need to fear a move that involves a downgrade in space.The Concept room is able to practically give you a minimalistic but sleek apartment in just over 43 square foot. While you may be thinking this is not much space, when available room is utilized according to the concept plan you can fit in seats for 12, office workspace, double bed, dining table, sofa, and a wardrobe all in one area. With sleek color accents it almost looks more sophisticated than a small living space solution.4. Fusion pool & dining table:Many people cannot justify spending a large amount of money on a billiard table that they only use for gaming. The pool manufacturers used to address this problem, by making pool tables convertible into ping pong tables as well, but with the economy diving, even the ping pong table cannot justify the expense.Enter the fusion pool and dining room table: a table that you can eat off of while you are not playing. As an added benefit, when transformed into a dining room table you can hardly even tell that the Aramith pool table hides a full sized billiard table underneath.5. Roel Verhagen-Kaptein Three in One:Not sure how many people are going to show up at your house for the pre-party tonight? Or do you like the idea of a love seat for your loft, but need a sofa for when it is you plus one?Sounds like you may need the new Roel Verhagen-Kaptein Three in One. This comfortable plush furniture piece can be modeled into a chair, lounger, or a love seat, and the best part, instead of being a hard metal or plastic you get all the comforts of sinking into your furniture!6. Foldable Swiss Furniture:For those who relocate frequently hiring a moving service or dissembling furniture can get old quick.However, with the Foldable Swiss Furniture moving becomes ten times easier as bookcases can be literally pushed into a foldable package of only 24cm that weighs 31kg. [Creative Book Shelves]When fully extended again the distance between shelves can be individually arranged to measure anywhere from 33cm to 28cm.7. Bedup:For those in a one bedroom loft lack of privacy is always an issue as no one wants their bed to be the first object of notice when guests walk into the room.Behold: The Bedup, much like it’s counterpart from the eighties that folded into the wall, retracts back into the ceiling and its bottom can even be made into a lighting installation making your room brighter and classier in one easy go [Bedroom Lighting Techniques].This way you can have a double bed and space without worrying about an Inspector Clouseau moment when you become trapped between the wall and bed.8. Studio Dror folding chairs:Usually when you buy folding chairs to use in your home the only choice you have while not using them is to stack them in the corner or hide them in the closet.The simple fact of life is that folding chairs are obtrusive non-flexible items that usually take up space more than they ever help create seating solutions.Or, at least this was true before the stylish flexible wooden Studio Dror folding chairs. These elegant Chinese wooden delights can be unfolded instead of folded, perhaps denoting a new name choice, and hung on the wall for simple tasteful decoration that looks as if it was there as part of an home interior design accent instead of a chair!9. Kenchikukagu:Most people have heard of minimalistic design, but the Kenchikukagu apartment set takes it to an entirely new level. For about $7500 a piece you can purchase three cabinets that each fold out into a bedroom set, office space, and kitchen area.Thus, you can choose to unfold each cabinet as you need it and fold them all up when you want to maximize the amount of space in your home. Even better, the cabinets have wheels so you could essentially put your kitchen away in the coat closet if you want to clear space for guests!10. One Shot Stool:Need a folding chair that you can really tuck away when you are not using it? Sounds like you may need the Belgian creation the one shot stool.Unlike its hard unyielding counterpart that takes up space and advertises its bulky presence while not in use, the one shot stool neatly spirals up into a small parcel that is perpendicular and can be placed in an umbrella rack for safe keeping until you need it again.As well as a great piece of space conversation furniture, the one shot stool may easily become your favorite new toy or trick to pull out at parties.11. Obelisk Chairs:One of the reasons that most people avoid purchasing folding chairs when they are short on space is because they hate the visual look of folding chairs.Not to mention that while being space conscious, the metal items are also pretty uncomfortable for any extended period of time where you have to remain seated. This is why designer Janus et Cie came up with the Obelisk chairs.Visually appealing and comfortable, when not in use the chairs and table can be stacked into a missile like shape and stored in the corner. It may look odd, but it certainly looks like a purposeful abstract oddity which is of course half the charm.12. Foldout couch:There are mattresses that fold out of couches to provide you with a place to rest your head if you are short on space in your loft, and then there are literally beds that fold out of couches such as the Flou fold out which is impressive from the first site.This elegant bed gives the appearance of a modern bed as the mattress is extended from a pile that makes up the sofa seat to look so much like a bed your house guests will never notice that you 13. Creative wedge:Technically when you go on break your time is yours to spend how you like, so why not buy a piece of office furniture that also allows you to use it as you like.The Creative Wedge is made up of sturdy yet supportive and comfortable foam pieces that can be rearranged around the color coded wedge to allow you to change positions from sitting to lying, to lying with your feet down or up, to lounging with your head down or whatever else you can think of.Wonder if the designers at Brightside Design had to count their testing time as a break time?14. Electric chair:No, this clever design is not straight out of a jail cell, but rather is a design in which a comfortable plush chair can be rotated onto its back much like a porch swing to reveal a stove and kitchen counter.Perfect for lofts that lack kitchen accommodations and for those who want to be truly comfortable in the kitchen! Careful though, because what you drop into the corners of the cushion may impair cleanliness of your kitchen!15. Casulo:Similar to the idea of the Modular Kitchen, the Casulo is a large bright yellow square that unfolds to reveal all the elements you could need to create an entire bedroom. The box measures in at the small dimensions of 80cm x 120cm that fits a desk, three stools, a bed, six shelf bookcase, and an armoire.By the way, the mattress for the bed also fits inside. It is estimated by designers Marcel Kings & Sebastian Muhlhauser that the bedroom in a box set can be built and disassembled in ten minutes with no tools required.With the Casulo and the Kitchen Modular in compact form in the corner you could easily transform your apartment into a nightclub complete with a bar and dance floor if you like!16. Computer Desk Bed:If you like the feeling that you leave the office when you leave work, the computer desk bed may not be for you.However, for those who are trying to maximize their space or for college students who only have dorm room space to work with the computer desk bed could be ideal.In desk form, the stylish wood desk sits firmly against a wall, but at nighttime the desk folds down to allow a hidden twin sized bed to pop out.However, a word of caution, this desk may be only for lighthearted people, seriously, as the metal joints may not be enough to support heavier people.17. The Biombo Chair:Need some temporary chairs in your apartment that will not take up space when your guests are not around? Try the Biombo Chair by Daniel Milchtein Peltsverger.The chair seat is built over hinges so that when you pick it up and unlatch it the seat folds down and forms the perfect folding screen also known as a Biombo.You can even etch your own personalized design into it, if you want people to believe the Biombo screen was really intended to be a chair and not just something you use to block the windows due to the lack of curtains.18. Transformable Table & Chair:The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of furniture, the transformable table and chair set is actually two metal chairs that can be bent into a shape with a table like surface and interlocked to give you a surprisingly wide table space to work off.Thus, you can use the chairs for extra guests or as a buffet table if you need more room for your serving options! The choice of course is always up to you, and an extra perk, the chairs can be stacked on each other while not in use to minimize the space they occupy when you do not need a table or chairs.19. Lunablocks Lego Furniture:Apparently if you have the money your childhood dreams can come true as you can literally build your furniture out of LunaBlocks which bare a strong resemblance to Legos.With a plan of glass or a nice pillow you can easily create furniture that is straight out of Legoland, and the best part is if you need the space you can just stack the furniture in the corner, literally.

Image taken on o by t.

Neelima Reddy, author of this article writes for HomeInteriorsZone.com. Home Interiors blog helps you learn everything you need to know about home improvement aspects. Know more about home remodeling, home renovating tips, interior decorating tips, etc. Visit Home Interiors Blog

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